Independent Review of Integrated Education

The Independent Review of Integrated Education was published on Thursday evening (2 March). The Review, instigated by previous Education Minister John O’Dowd and released by outgoing Minister Peter Weir, contains 39 recommendations for developing and supporting the growth of integrated Education in NI including reconsidering the official definition of the term and extending the current legal duty to “encourage and facilitate” the development of integrated education to include a requirement to “promote” the model.

The 130-page report, produced by Colm Cavanagh and Dr Margaret Topping, was submitted to the Department last November. In their introductory “letter to the Minister” the authors say

“We submit these proposals in the certain knowledge that understanding and friendship across our community divisions is strengthened by our young people going together to school; and that offering parents this choice is in everyone’s interest.”

It will fall to the next Education Minister to respond to the report and the IEF and the wider integrated education movement will monitor developments with interest.